First ever Mid Kerry crown for Glenbeigh/Glencar/Cromane

MID KERRY UNDER 21 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Glenbeigh-Glencar/ Cromane 2-11 Milltown-Castlemaine 2-10

GLENBEIGH-GLENCAR / Cromane (GGC) won their first Mid Kerry Under 21 title as a combined outfit with a thrilling one-point win over Milltown-Castlemaine in Beaufort on St Patrick’s Day.

The game ebbed and flowed throughout before a storming start to the first period of extra time when they outscored their opponents 0-3 to no score gave GGC the platform for victory.

In truth they probably should have secured victory in normal time. They had played against 14 men for 35 minutes, after Milltown-Castlemaine midfielder Padraig O’Reilly received a straight red card just before half-time and led by two points (2-7 to 1-8) with time ticking into the third minute of injury time.

They were then hit with a sucker punch when Milltown-Castlemaine substitute Kieran Griffin, who had a fine game when introduced, pulled on a breaking ball in the GGC square to goal and put Milltown-Castlemaine up by one.

GGC regrouped and worked the next play down the field where they drew a foul and Darren Houlihan tapped over the resultant free to force extra time.

Prior to this Milltown-Castlemaine looked well in control in the opening quarter as they led 1-2 to 0-2 with their goal bizarrely coming from a mis-controlled solo by a GGC back and the ball ended up in the net for an own goal.

Their forwards looked lively with Dylan O’Neill and Gavin McKenna impressing as David Roche drove them on from midfield.

GGC got back into the game when a Daniel Griffin shot was footblock and the referee awarded a penalty. Darren Houlihan stepped up and cooly slotted the place kick home to level matters at 1-2 apiece.

Milltown-Castlemaine dusted themselves down and proceeded to kick four unanswered points to lead 1-5 to 1-2 at the break.

The first of the second half from Dylan O’Neill to push them out to a four-point gap, all the while coming to terms with being reduced to 14 just before the break.

GGC needed to respond, and they did with three points in-a-row from Caolim Teahan, Liam Roche, and Oisin O’Connor to get back within one.

In the 45th minute they got back in front when Daniel Griffin showed great composure, twisting back and forth, before finishing to the net to give his side a 2-5 to 1-7 lead.

Caolim Teahan and substitute Mike Dennehy then swapped points before the drama of injury time in normal time left the sides locked at 2-8 apiece.

GGC’s extra fitness and class showed in extra time, as Milltown-Castlemaine, even though returned to the full complement of 15, now had to contend with losing their impressive midfielder David Roche to a hamstring injury.

Three GGC points in-a-row from Caolim Teahan (two from play) and one from Shane O’Neill as he shot clipped the crossbar gave them their biggest lead, 2-11 to 2-8. From here, GGC never looked like losing even though they failed to score in the second period of extra time.

Two points from Milltown-Castlemaine full-forward Sean Hogan (one a free) pulled them to within one with two minutes of extra time remaining, but GGC with Oisin O’Connor, Conor Sugrue, Caolim Teahan, and Shane O’Neill impressive in extra time held out to win by one 2-11 to 2-10.

Caolim Teahan received his man-of-the-match award from Morgan O’Sullivan, of the Mid Kerry Board, and GGC captain Darren Houlihan was presented with the Eugene Ferris Memorial Cup by Mid Kerry Board chairman Mike Sayers.

GLENBEIGH-GLENCAR/CROMANE: Donal O’Neill; Shane Ahern, Oisin O’Connor 0-1, Ethan Griffin; Conor Sugrue, Caoilte Purcell, Liam Roche 0-1; Caolim Teahan 0-4 (2f), Darren Houlihan 1-2 (1-0 penalty, 0-2f); Sean Tadhg Sheahan, Dara Casey, Cathal Crosby; Gearóid Griffin, Daniel Griffin 1-2, Adrian O’Connor Subs: Shane O’Neill 0-1 for G Griffin (38), Jack O’Sullivan for E Griffin (h-t in e-t), Tommy Quirke for A O’Connor (72), Maurice O’Connor for S Ahern (76)

MILLTOWN/CASTLEMAINE: Cormac Leane; Oltan Heffernan, Ciaran O’Connor, Roan Hegarty; Killian Kearns, Tadhg McCarthy, David Leane; David Roche, Padraig O’Reilly; John Dennehy, Gavin McKenna 0-3, Dylan O’Neill 0-2 (1f); Eoin O’Brien, Sean Hogan 0-3 (1f), Craig Counihan 0-1 Subs: Kieran Griffin 1-0 for O Heffernan 45m, Mike Dennehy 0-1 for D Roche (injured) 50m

REFEREE: Tom Harold (Beaufort)

The Mid Kerry Senior League saw Glenbeigh / Glencar defeat Laune Rangers 1-15 to 2-9.

The Round 4 fixture between Cromane and Beaufort will be played on Wednesday, March 21 at 8.15pm in John Mitchels Pitch Tralee.

Best of luck to all who will represent their clubs in the Mid Kerry Scor na bPaisti Final in the CYMS Hall Killorglin at 7pm.